Thread: Engine strip down

repairable, the first option is with a thread file and replacing the plug with a tapered one coasted with loctite 567...

that doesnt work, its still repairable..... mill ream and turn it into another coreplug.

that not your game? braze a plug in

that not your game, epoxy a burst disc in

that not your style, take it to someone who can weld cast and then retap it

still not liking it? tap it oversize and fit a metric hydraulic plug

no?

bang in a wooden plug

no?

epoxy fill it

no?

Jb weld it,


Theres more But I reckon one of them is going to get it done.

If you look hard at the top of the pistons they might have oversized measurement stamped into them, mine did

Cheers Paul

Even if the engine is already bored to maximum oversize, it is possible to fit dry sleeves to bring it back to standard, although it may be hard to find the sleeves.

Hardened valve seats. These are not required on this engine unless the vehicle is used where full throttle operation at high speed is used for prolonged periods. They were sold in Canada new when the only fuel available was unleaded, and have been used for many years all over the world with unleaded. I have used mine on unleaded ever since leaded fuel disappeared, without issues. (The issue would be valve seat recession, which will show up by tappet clearance decreasing. Despite regular checking, it does not change.) But, if you have plenty of money, and are overhauling the head, there are no downsides to fitting hardened exhaust valve seats.

Head skimming - the early 7:1 head (no boss for the compression number) cannot be safely skimmed as there is no guarantee of sufficient metal. The 8:1 head was a different casting, which was used, machined differently, for the 7:1 head in later production.

Thanks Dave, good to hear I have lots of options on that one!

Paul, here is a photo of the top of the piston with the markings...



John,
Thanks for the advice on the valve seats. My plan was to send the head off to be skimmed to 8:1. I read somewhere that the early heads can be skimmed to that, but no more. From what you’ve said though, I shouldn’t even do that?
Also, if I don’t require the hardened seats, I may not have any reason to send the head anywhere.
I have fitted a roamerdrive to the gearbox, as most of my driving will be country roads, so was going to go 8:1 to give it a bit of help...

Visually, the head looks in good shape. There is one inlet valve that has a bit of pitting which I assume should be replaced?...
I’ll take the valves out and measure/inspect the rest.



I’m also tempted to invest in a bore dial gauge and just see where exactly the block is at.

Originally Posted by flyboy

........
John,
Thanks for the advice on the valve seats. My plan was to send the head off to be skimmed to 8:1. I read somewhere that the early heads can be skimmed to that, but no more. From what you’ve said though, I shouldn’t even do that?
Also, if I don’t require the hardened seats, I may not have any reason to send the head anywhere.
I have fitted a roamerdrive to the gearbox, as most of my driving will be country roads, so was going to go 8:1 to give it a bit of help...

Visually, the head looks in good shape. There is one inlet valve that has a bit of pitting which I assume should be replaced?...
I’ll take the valves out and measure/inspect the rest.....

I’m also tempted to invest in a bore dial gauge and just see where exactly the block is at.

The early head can in many cases be skimmed to 8:1, because there may be enough metal. Problem is, the only way to know is to try it, and if there is not enough metal, you have ruined the head. Another potential issue is that the early had little clearance between the casting between the bit below the thermostat housing and the top of the waterpump, and this may be small enough that skimming the head can cause problems.

That pitted intake valve is probably immaterial, but even so, I would be inclined to replace it, although the sealing surface is really all that matters.

If the bores are cylindrical, and not tapered, even if at maximum oversize, they may not require any work except possible de-ridging. And the pistons may well still be usable, so just replacing the rings and deglazing.

Thanks John,
If that’s the case, I’ll leave it at 7:1 and keep an eye out for a later head if I feel it needs an upgrade.

I managed to get time today to get completely covered from head to toe in oil and keep stripping the block...





Whilst not exactly accurate, I had a thin steel rod that I tapered the ends of and cut and filed down to 3.602 (.040 overbore). The cylinder is slightly larger than that, except where the lip is it’s exactly that, confirming that it has been bored .040 over.

All still looks ok except no. 4 big end bearing was very worn...



I haven’t measured the crankshaft journals yet, but one concern I have is where the rear main seal runs. There’s a very small wear area/corrosion patch in one spot. That doesn’t surprise me since it was sitting in a paddock in one spot for a long time. Every seal surface on this car has so far needed replacing or a Speedi Sleeve, but I’m not sure that this area can be repaired? Any ideas on that one?

I think you need to talk to an engine reconditioner, probably initially just with the pictures in hand. The journal does not look too bad, but does need measuring, the seal surface certainly needs polishing though.

My overall thought would be that while it is a good idea when reconditioning an engine to bring it back to the equivalent of new condition, for a vehicle that is not going to be working particularly hard, and probably not used all that much, it is easy to spend a lot of money that shows little return.

This engine is, as far as I can determine, the only engine ever put into production that was designed specifically for use in a light four wheel drive. At least in the petrol version, it is extremely durable, and withstands a lot of abuse. Features such as the roller cam followers and large oil capacity enable it to survive neglect, and having started life as a diesel means it is overengineered as a petrol engine.

Thanks John,
I’ve had a machinist recommended to me in Wollongong, so will drop in next week.

This may have been answered somewhere else, but whilst looking at parts on the internet, I noticed .060 pistons are available. For some reason I thought .040 was the maximum. Is that correct?